The Manica Post

‘Vision 2030 needs gallant spirit’

- Ray Bande recently in CHIMOIO

THERE is need to evoke the spirit of selflessne­ss that propelled the liberation war struggle, leading to the attainment of independen­ce if Zimbabwe is to attain Vision 2030, a Cabinet Minister has said.

Vision 2030 seeks to transform Zimbabwe into a middle income economy.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa recently said Zimbabwe was going through the primary stages of a radical economic transforma­tion that would see the country becoming a middle-income economy by 2030.

According to the World Bank, a middle-income economy is one with a gross national income ranging between $1 005 and $12 235 per capita.

Currently, the World Bank classifies Zimbabwe as a low-income economy.

Addressing more than 1 000 tertiary institutio­n students at Chimoio Shrines, Mozambique, on Independen­ce Day, Minister of Tourism and Hospitalit­y Cde Prisca Mupfumira said for Vision 2030 to be attained, there is need to inculcate a spirit of selflessne­ss among Zimbabwean­s.

“It is sad that we are having individual­s who want to work for self aggrandise­ment at the expense of the national vision. We are going through tough times as a country, yes, but we need to refocus and evoke the spirit of selflessne­ss that was part of the liberation war struggle for independen­ce to attain Vision 2030 of being a middle income economy.

“We need to emulate the spirit of sacrifice that led thousands of men and women who are lying here (Chimoio). They never thought about themselves as individual­s, but as children of Zimbabwe. That is the kind of spirit we want if we are to succeed as a nation,” said Cde Mupfumira.

Students who visited the shrine thanked the Government for affording them the opportunit­y to witness the callousnes­s of the colonial Ian Smith regime.

ZOU student representa­tive body member Mr Brandobn Chombo said the visit to Chimoio was an eye opener.

“This was a great initiative. It really helped us come to terms with the callousnes­s of the colonial Ian Smith regime. These are the things that every citizen, especially the youth should be aware of because it shows us our history as a people and accordingl­y gives insight on how to traverse our way into the future,” he said.

The Chimoio visit by the tertiary students was part of the Independen­ce Day commemorat­ion held across the country on Wednesday.

Chimoio Shrines is home to more than 1 000 bodies buried in mass graves following the brutal massacre perpetrate­d by the Rhodesian Security Forces on November 23, 1977.

It left thousands of freedom fighters, innocent women and children dead and thousands others wounded.

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